Ablaze
by YagamiNeko
Summary: The intensity of the flames was growing larger every second. Everywhere I looked, the blaze engulfed the schooner, taking it prisoner with every waiting minute. J.J and Lyssa's story of the fire and after, J.J.'s POV. Please R&R!


Hey! Okay, so this is my first Island fanfic so please go easy! I have had this idea for a long time, because I always wondered what the story of J.J. and Lyssa was during and after the fire. The first part is a recap of the fire, through J.J's eyes, so please bear with me for a teeny bit! Thanks and have a good read! :)

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I regained my balance swiftly after being knocked off my own feet when the massive explosion shook the _Phoenix. _Thick smoke entered my body as I struggled to get oxygen into my system, tickling my throat when trying to swallow. Tears burned my eyes as I glanced nervously around to see where the youngest boy had been thrown to. He had landed a short distance away from me, now down on all fours on the deck of the ship, gasping for air just as I had. I took careful steps towards him and tightly took hold of his shoulders, turning him to make eye contact. His squinted eyes widened at the understanding that it was me. I supported underneath his arm so he could gradually make his way to his feet once again.

The intensity of the flames was growing larger every second. Everywhere I looked, the blaze engulfed the schooner, taking it prisoner with every waiting minute. The roar of the fire made it impossible to hear the worried cries of my fellow crew members, whether they were still on the burning ship or safely out of the fires way, in the raging waters of the Pacific. It wouldn't be long before the entirety of the ship was engulfed, and it would surely tow us down to the depths of the ocean with it if we didn't take action fast. I let go of my hold on Ian's arm, speedily pacing the small space the fire had not devoured yet.

The simple fact of spending the rest of my life at the bottom of the ocean was all the motivation I needed to continue my search for a way out.

"The extinguisher!" Ian's cry was scarcely audible. The younger boy raced to the companionway opening and in one swift movement, had yanked the extinguisher down off of the bulkhead and had begun spreading the white foam onto the fire closest to him. I scanned the rest of the deck while praying to God that there be ANY form of help against the blaze. A small rubber object was rocking gently near the mouth of the companionway. Not thinking twice, I darted for it, and soon came to realize it was a rubber hat. A smile graced my lips, making it the first time I had smiled since I got here. _Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!_ I reached out for the bucket, feeling the metal rim against the palm of my hand, and grabbed it before making my way to the submerged cabins. Frantically, I scooped up water and heaved it onto the growing fire, repeating this method until there was no feeling left in my arm. Soon both the younger boy and me were stumbling over what was still in tact of the _Phoenix._ Their attempts at stopping the inferno engulfing the ship were getting slimmer by the second.

"It's no use! We might as well be throwing dixie cups of Kool-Aid!" My voice was but a whisper compared to the extreme roar of the blaze, but Ian, who had become closer and closer as the fire grew, turned to me with a worried expression on his young, pale face. I tried my hardest to force my lips into a reassuring smile for the boy in front of me, but it only made me wonder if I was doing it only to cover up the fact that I was petrified.

The thought of the others being thrown from the ship turned my attention to the open sea behind our backs. I searched the rolling waves for any signs of movement coming from my friends, but just saw pieces of debris that had previously belonged to the craft. Silently cursing under my breath, I glanced up towards the foremast, praying once more that at least Charla would still be alright. She was merely a shadow behind the curtain of smoke now coming from the blaze. Between coughs, she bent over the rail to shout down to them. "Where are the others?"

Ian's dust covered hand cupped his mouth. "In the stern!"

Charla's trembling reply came soon after. "There is no stern! It's all fire back there!!"

A gasp escaped my lips as I realized the others were surely gone. There was simply no way they could have survived the blast. If they had, they were no match for the horrifying sea around them. I looked to my side, the glow of the fire dancing across Ian's child like features. A single tear was forming in the corner of his eye, but he quickly squeezed them shut, no wanting to believe the events unraveling. I felt something damp trickle down my left cheek. _Oh, no. I seriously wasn't crying, was I?_ My hand smeared the tear away. _This couldn't be happening, could it? Everything was going well, to say the least, but then that Ratface had to leave us..... _I shut my eyes and brought my hands to my head in frustration, trying my best to block to rest of the world out. I would do just about anything to be at home right now, pretending none of this had happened, living in a surreal life I was used to.

A deafening cracking interrupted my thoughts. My gaze was averted to the fiery mainmast towering above myself and Ian, collapsing in our direction. The boy stood there, looking agape at the blazing mess plummeting towards us. He was quick to snap out of his daydream, jumping back as the mast slammed into the cabin top, just coming between myself and Ian.

"IAN!!" I doubted my cry would be audible to the young boy's ears, but at the moment I knew being separated might very well be the end. The wall of fire was taller than me, making it impossible to go through.

A sudden explosion to my left made me jump back, making me become increasingly closer to the gunwale. I was thrown against the single rail surrounding the ship that kept us from being tossed into the raging sea. In a split second I spun to face the hellhole that had consumed the ship that had supposedly been my home for the long month at sea. Desperately, I searched the flames for any signs of the others still being on the ship. It was impossible to believe not eight days ago the six of us had been safe at home, packing for this stupid "vacation", as my dad had so kindly put it. Now, it was slowly turning into a trip they would most likely not be returning home from. The first realistic explanation to this chaos was it was purely a ploy to see how the crew could work together, with Rat face and even the Captain over the horizon watching their progress. Now, it seems as if that idea was completely bizarre to even consider. I was fighting for my life, and every second spent in this firestorm meant it was coming to the end.

Gradually the blaze was growing, making the crisp night air hot against my face. Right before my frightened eyes, the foresail was being licked by the flames from the fallen mainsail. I looked down to the small metallic hat in my hands, shocked to make out no more than a few inches of water still deep in the bottom. Without thinking, I immediately threw the precious water onto the foresail. The attempt in putting out the small fire was weak, for the flames only grew until the entire sail had been turned to a black powder. I gulped loudly, realizing the grave situation we were in had gotten that grimmer.

I not quite sprinted the few meters that I still had left, opposite to the vast sheets of fire that had at odds the younger boy from me. "Ian, can you hear me?" I called in the direction I assumed he was taken by the fire. It would be better to hear the sound of one of my friends' voices to know I was not alone, than to know they had already died.

"Get out of there!" The faded voice that came from the other side was scarcely clear over the blare of the inferno, but at the moment it was the only sound I could pay attention to.

I almost smirked to myself as a small voice in my head whispered _easier said than done. _

The smile was soon wiped from my face as I twisted around to look for a way to escape the burning ship. My eyes became as wide as saucers as I found there seemed to be no plausible way out. "To where?!?" It seemed as though every inch of the vessel was consumed by fire as I spun on my heels, frantically searching for any possible escape route.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw it. Not two meters from where I was standing.

The gunwale.

My heart was beating twice the normal speed as I thought about just what was beyond that barrier. Escape.

My feet were frozen to the deck, regardless of the warm summer night. It finally registered in my brain how little time I really had. Before I knew it, I was sprinting for the edge of the ship, almost slipping on the encrusted salt on the deck as I did so. Barely staying on the ship, I skidded to a stop, and looked out across a black sea before me.

The next task: getting off the ship alive. As I took in the scene before me, I thought this would be easier said than done. My eyes grew wide with excitement when I saw a familiar black plastic floating in the water, still attached to the burning _Phoenix_ with a smoldering rope.

_The life raft! _ My mouth grew into a toothy grin as I remembered all the trouble I had gotten into when first opening the case with which I believed was not supposed to be on the ship in the first place. _At least it became useful for more than that antenna_. I shook my head to rid myself of all thoughts related to that... that... Ratface. Sure, my opinion in this matter was it was all a hoax, a fake boat trip in which we are in trouble and must learn teamwork. Setting the ship on fire was a step too far, especially in it meant they would get hurt.

The heat on my back became excruciatingly painful, and I had no choice but to make a move to get into the raft. Bending down onto the deck, I quickly tugged on the rope attached to a small rusted hoop, pulling the boat closer and closer to the raft. _Almost there…_I thought as the rubber raft softly nudged the wooden side of the ship. When I was satisfied could make the distance, I leaned down towards the deck, this time assuming a starting sprint position. I took in a sharp breath as the fire closed in around my body, realizing it was now or never. My main focus was on the life raft, shutting out my surroundings as if they meant nothing, and with that, I pushed all my weight off of the boats deck.

Halfway through the jump, my balance began to fail. My upper body pitched forward, sending me into a summersault. The boat rocked threateningly as I landed, grabbing the sides and staying still, waiting for the raft to become steady once more.

For the next minute my mind was in a haze, not quite registering what was happening around me. The raft settled into a soft rhythm with the waves, floating further and further away from the wreckage. I finally willed myself to turn around, to see just what had become of the ship. The scene before my eyes shocked me to no end.

Almost completely submerged by the ocean, the ship sunk out of sight ever so slowly. When even the tip of the crows nest disappeared from my view, all that was left was scattered rubble still smoldering in the dark water.

An agonized cry escaped my lips. No way was this happening. For the first time that I could remember, I was alone. No rich daddy to bribe me out of this, no step mother to scold me for my behavior. Not even Mr. Rapaport here to shake his head sadly, simply saying J.J., and from that, I would know I was in for it. Even if it meant being punished for all the risky actions I've taken, I would do anything to hear their voices, even if it meant only _one last time._

My head slammed hard against the rubber siding of the life raft out of frustration, rage, and terror. It would be stupid to think it was someone else who caused this. The fault was all mine. _You idiot!! Why did you raise that sail?? WHY?!_ That single act caused a ripple effect of bad luck throughout the ship. The captain getting knocked unconscious by the free-swinging sail, Mr. "Rat-face" Radford leaving them, the realization of the Phoenix sinking, and, their latest disaster, the ship sinking, sending them into the ocean alone.

_The others! _I instantly shot my head up at the thought of them. _They HAD to be alive, right? _The optimistic voice whispered silently in my ear._ They just had to! _

My mind began to race as my blurry vision scanned the water around me. All that could be seen was the occasional driftwood passing by, the only reminder of the ship. Nothing else was visible in the inky darkness of night, leaving me to give in to the sea.

I rested my head on the edge of the raft and began to let the tears fall freely. The whole world seemed to come crashing down upon me, crushing my body and not allowing me to breathe. Angry voices shouted at me from inside my head, not allowing me to forget the mistake that had costed my crewmates to not only end up in a terrifying and dangerous situation, but also their lives.

_No!_ I willed myself to raise my head in determination. _I will make it out of this chaos and -_

The smallest sound could be heard out in the distance, tearing me from my thoughts and making me to survey the sea around the raft. I listened beyond the steady lapping of water against the raft, making my ears as sensitive as a dog's. All was silent for a moment until that sound came again. This time it was closer, and appeared crystal clear in the cool ocean air. A small, moaning sound. No – most definitely a cough, raspy and muffled by the waves.

The instant reaction was to examine the sea in front of me. Nothing. I spun around in the raft (as fast as you can spin around in a sitting position), grabbing the rim to seize the hazardous rocking that could have landed me in the sea. My blue eyes peered over the edging of the raft, preparing myself for the disappointment of the sounds of the ocean teasing my exhausted mind. The sight was enough to make my heart skip a beat.

There – not 20 yards away from where I sat, a shadowy form slumped lazily on a piece of wood. Peering closer, I barely made out the long brown hair clinging to the person's forehead; completely covering their face. Only one face came to mind …

"Lyssa!!" My voice was shrill as it rang through the air, evidently doing nothing to awake the now unmoving figure. "Lyssa," I tried again, lower due to the effort put forth in reaching out as far as I dared to touch the wood and bring it nearer to the raft. My fingertips graced the top of the wood, dipping it into the water, only to resurface a few centimeters shy of my outstretched hand. A subdued curse escaped my lips, and the raft sunk deeper into the water as I scooted out a little more. This alone was enough, for the wood was brought closer thanks to a slow flowing current. I grasped the wood and tugged with all my remaining energy. The driftwood hit the border of the life raft with a satisfying bump, and the next dilemma soon came to mind: how am I supposed to get her into the raft??

The task was surprisingly easy, despite the grunts of effort I emitted. My fingers locked together around her chest and I pulled, the sides of my mouth turning up in small smile at the notion of how unnaturally light she was. _Must be the fact that no one really ate recently aboard the ship _I thought with a look of disgust as it occurred to me just who was doing the cooking. My head cleared as the current task at hand became my main concern.

Both a motionless Lyssa Greenfield and me crashed to the floor. I lay still, steadying my fatigued breaths and pounding heart. Rolling to my side, I nudged Lyssa in the side with my elbow, and remembered immediately that she was still unconscious. I rose to my knees and began to roll her onto her back, examining her body for any injuries she might have acquired form the explosion. Nothing seemed physically wrong. I pressed to fingers down on her throat, perhaps a little harder than intended, but I could still feel a steady rhythm playing on my fingers. Her breaths were labored against my ear, but, nonetheless,

she was breathing.

I fell back in relief. _She's okay. She's okay … _I closed my eyes and smiled, silently saying a prayer to God in my head. _Thank you for not taking her away … _my face fell and my smile disappeared all at once as images of the others frantically trying to put the ship into working condition again crossed my mind. These were replaced by a deafening explosion right before my eyes and the mainmast separating myself from the youngest and most innocent boy on this trip, Ian. _There's no use … they're dead. All of them._ Tears pricked the corners of my eyes and I squeezed them shut in an attempt to block that thought, my hands forming fists by my sides to center the fury building inside of me. A few calming breaths brought me back to reality.

A choking gasp came from behind me and I fought the urge to go to Lyssa's side. All was silent for a moment, and I could practically tell she was looking around, trying to comprehend what had happened. "J.J?" I cringed as she said my name in the hoarse tone that came with swallowing seawater.

I turned slowly to come face to face with Lyssa. Scorched clothing now hung on the girl like a tent, and her face was as shadowy as night, no thanks to soot from the explosion. My gaze immediately went to her eyes, a look of desperation in those light blue orbs as she frantically searched my face for answers. "Where are the others?" She spoke in a voice barely above a whisper, but I heard it as if she was shouting through a blow horn. My eyes closed and I hung my head in grief.

A stifled cry escaped from Lyssa. Soon, she was sobbing uncontrollably, her head in her hands as she collapsed from her seat. Tears threatened to spill from my eyes again, and I hurriedly turned my body away, wiping the tears off of my filth covered face with the

inside of my white t-shirt. As my eyes shifted to the horizon, it seemingly grew larger as the raft floated farther and farther from the wreckage of the _Phoenix._

Black patches of gasoline stained the clear waters of the Pacific as Lyssa and I hopelessly drifted off into the sea …

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So, did you like it? Yes? No? Maybe? UNKNOWN? I actually started this a while ago and really wanted to get it done, so sorry if the ending seemed rushed for any of you! Please review and tell me your thoughts! It truly means a lot! Thanks. :)

~*YagamiNeko*~


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